Derby historian Maxwell Craven has been visiting hundreds of streets across the city for a new book out this week.

Derby Through Its Streets tells the history of the city through its highways, lanes and alleys but along the way, Mr Craven is very honest at times about the developments that have both disappointed and appalled him - the blame for which he lays at the doors of successive city councils who he feels have not had the vision to preserve the past and build in a complimentary manner for the future.

Speaking to the Derby Telegraph, Mr Craven urged Derby City Council to prevent the spread of high-rise buildings and cited Jurys Inn as an example, calling it a “hideous plastic hotel” and a “catastrophic (planning) decision”, which he says has wrecked the setting of St Mary’s Catholic Church.

Although his book does not dwell totally on errors of planning, when asked to produce his top ten blights on the city, Mr Craven rattled off some very familiar ones - such as the Hippodrome, in Green Lane - but also expressed concerns about developments in St Helen's Street and Victoria Street, where he recommends that the former Debenhams store does not need to be knocked down. See how much you agree with his choices?

Time Line

Maxwell Craven's 10 blights on Derby's streets

1) St Alkmund's Way

"Jurys Inn Hotel is too tall for the site and affects the setting of St Helen’s House and St Mary’s in direct contravention of Section 66 of the 1990 Planning Act."

2) Babington Lane

"Stiff with buses jostling for position causing diesel fumes and traffic problems. Lots of social housing and businesses which come and go with frequency because it is such an unpleasant environment."

3) The Spot

"The removal of the public toilets was a serious mistake. Area looks thoroughly unkempt and the rings installation has not improved the area. The Moderne building on the corner between London and Osmaston roads is really quite good, as is the equally modern stone façade of the building between the Neptune and Waterstone’s. These could provide a theme which re-development could be encouraged."

4) Agard Street

"Inappropriate development at the east end with the 'copper' building and adjacent building. Friar Gate is one of the Midlands’ premier conservation areas, and this sort of development should never have been allowed."

5) Derwent Street

"Our City Our River project (which seeks to protect the city from as ‘once in a hundred years’ flooding event), envisages wrecking the setting of two listed buildings in Little Chester (Stone House Prebend Grade II* and Derwent House Grade II) and destroying several locally listed buildings - the Natwest Bank (formerly Harwoods), the cadet HQ (see Phoenix Street) and the nationally important Exeter House flats, built by a much more enlightened council than today (1932) to house poorer people with stunning views down the river. The council wanted to demolish these ten years ago so a developer could replace them with prestige flats. A new ten story tower currently under consideration would dwarf the Exeter Arms pub at its foot."

6) Cathedral Road

"Student flat block called Cathedral View would be an acceptable building away from the city centre but utterly inappropriate here."

7) Queen Street

"This should be one of our finest streets, but with the former clockworks decaying on it, it’s never going to cut the mustard. What city with a building connected with three internationally famous people - astronomer John Flamsteed, clockmaker John Whitehurst and artist Joseph Wright would allow the building to get into this sort of state?"

8) Green Lane

"Former Hippodrome Theatre, Grade II listed, in a shocking state caused by the council’s reluctance to intervene and the former art college and Metro Cinema building, Grade II*, decaying through the University of Derby’s failure to do anything with it."

9) St Helen's Street

"Developers were tasked with bringing back into use the locally-listed Marble Works manager’s house, Edwin Haslam’s adjacent forge and one small cottage. All are acutely at risk with roofs failing and growths sprouting from the gutters. In consequence, the street looks abysmal."

10) Victoria Street

"One element of an important late Regency piece of town planning. But empty Debenhams, a locally-listed and really quite appropriate building, needs rescuing and incorporating into any re-development scheme, not replacing. Becketwell needs only modest re-development, probably low-rise housing plus car parking, with Debenhams converted as flats above small shops or offices. Why not re-open the north side of the street and re-instate the Markeaton Brook, with seats and trees, like in Wisbech or Spalding?"

But Mr Craven is not afraid to say what parts of Derby's improvements have impressed him also. His book does not specifically get into this level of detail but there are moments throughout when he remarks on improvements for the better.

These include the potential re-development of the Silk Mill, the restoration of Derby's Grade I listed St Helen's House and the little-known Oriel Terrace in Gerard Street.

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He admitted he could go on at great length about the better things - particularly in the city's suburbs.

But, because the book limits him to within the old ring road, some of the other places have to be reserved for another book - maybe.

Time Line

Maxwell Craven's 10 good sights on Derby's streets

Gerard Street

"Oriel Terrace is a total delight but requires investment before all original features are lost."

King Street

"The restoration of St. Helen’s House is an achievement of national importance. All that is now needed is for the surroundings to be brought up to standard to match."

St. Mary’s Gate

"People are living in St. Mary’s Gate once more, as was the case up to 100 years ago. Decaying buildings at the lower end now purchased and, with luck, will be similarly restored."

Wardwick

"An excellent street overall with the landmark St. Werburgh’s Church at the west end due to be re-instated as a church – about time!"

The Strand

"A piece of 1870s town planning, built on the course of the brook. The sweep of building on the north side has been subject to planning scheme to keep the shop-fronts uniform and has been a great success. All we need now it people living in the spacious rooms above and the restoration of the façade of the Mechanics’ Institute, Grade II listed."

Cathedral Green

"Resisting the temptation to build on the site of the power station was the best thing the council ever did. Positives also are Lionel’s stature of Bonnie Prince Charlie and the restoration of the Cathedral."

Silk Mill Lane

"The Museum Trust’s decision to re-develop the Silk Mill has produced a far-reaching and imaginative plan to vastly improve this corner of the area. Too late to prevent the ugly and too-tall flats on opposite side of the river."

Duffield Road, Five Lamps to Broadway

"A delightful thoroughfare with some really distinguished domestic architecture, blighted only by the insertion of St. Mary’s Court, and threatened by garden infill developments."

Rawdon Street, New Normanton

"The survival and conversion to flats of this imaginatively designed former Davenport’s Brewery outlet lifts the area - a Moderne gem, despite the uPVC windows."

London Road

"The stretch from Midland Road to Bradshaw Way is a magnificent introduction to Derby and we hope the former DRI site development will come up to standard and embellish it. Now all we need is to improve the appearance of it from Midland Road to the bowstring railway bridge and somehow disguise tin sheds on the north west side side of Bradshaw Way – a few extra trees perhaps?"

Mr Craven’s book, Derby Through Its Streets, is published this week and is a gazeteer of the surviving streets of Derby lying within the old outer ring road (1928-39). He previously published Street by Street Derby, featuring vanished streets, in 2005, charting the historic context of the highways and byways of the city. It featured many facts about them past and present, using his “encyclopaedic knowledge”.

It explains more than 1,000 street names, has more than 200 photographs and covers notable buildings, famous people and short history of the city. He will discussing the book and history of Derby on Thursday, August 10 from 6.30pm at Waterstones in St Peter’s Street. Free entry.